LAND AND INCOME TAX

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 August 1946, Page 3

LAND AND INCOME TAX

ESTABLISHMENT OF BRANCH OFFICES GREYMOUTH OPENING DATE (P.A.) WELLINGTON, August 5. The Christchurch branch office of the Land and Income Tax Department will be opened next Monday, and it is expected that an office at Greymouth will be opened early next month. There will be a superintendent in charge of each office who will have power to act. A statement on the progress of the decentralisation of the department was made in the House of Representatives this evening by the Minister in charge (Mr. Nash).

Mr. Nash said branch offices were already functioning at Whangarei, Auckland, New Plymouth, Wanganui; Wellington, Dunedin and Invercargill. The Palmerston North and Nelson offices were expected to be ready for opening early next month. The Greymouth branch would deal with business from the counties of Buller, Grey, Inangahua, and Westland. Residents of boroughs and towns in the counties mentioned would have their business dealt with at these branches.

Mr. Nash said the great advantage to taxpayers was that they could get information more quickly by dealing personally with the . department, rather than by correspondence as they had to do in the past. There were three more offices which the department hoped to open soon. There had been difficulty at Hamilton in finding a suitable building. Napier was another town where a branch was to be opened. Mr. W. J. Polson (Opposition, Stratford) asked whether the Minister expected that tax receipts would be higher. Mr. Nash, smilingly, answered that he did because when taxpayers were able to find out what they should pay, and could pay it conveniently near their homes,- they would go into offices with more alacrity.

Asked if there would, be a deputy-commissioner in each branch with discretionary power, Mr. Nash replied that they would be superintendents, and would have power to act.